Cuban musical duo showcase jazz culture in Kurdistan

The 'Cris and Toni' music group brings Cuban jazz to Kurdistan. Photo C&T FB

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Showcasing their traditional music and charming people with it, two Cuban singers whisper the tones of their jazz music into the ears of Kurds and put smiles on their faces with their unique dancing and musical style.

"Toni and I have been working in the Middle East for six years now. We perform music and sing songs," Cris said, adding they started their work in Bahrain.

Cubans Cris and Toni are now in the Kurdistan Region performing at a hotel in the hot Kurdish nights.

The ‘Cris and Toni’ music group focus more on jazz music, in addition to pop and Latin rock.

They perform on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at Erbil Rotana Hotel.

Before coming to the Kurdistan Region, they knew nothing about Kurds and heard only about them on the news as being in an area embroiled in turmoil.

The Kurdistan Region and its Peshmerga fought a tough battle against ISIS group from 2014 to 2017, helping to shatter the "myth" of the extremist group.

They said, despite what they heard, they chose to visit.

"It feels very happy when you commute very freely in this region," he said.

They want the people of Erbil to see their performances in order to be acquainted with jazz.

The diverse Kurdistan Region is recovering from multiple economic crises including the war against ISIS. Officials hope that Kurdistan can become a mecca for multiple cultures in their portion of the Middle East.